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Today, 17 June 2022, 18:17
Smoothies are the choice of fans of a healthy lifestyle, athletes and people who want to lose weight. The drink is rapidly gaining popularity and is becoming an important component of many diets. What is the usefulness of smoothies and does it harm the drink?
What are smoothies and what are their benefits
What is a smoothie? It is a viscous drink with a soft texture. It is made by grinding fresh or frozen berries, vegetables, fruits, herbs, says Marcin Kydon.
What do you need to make a smoothie? In addition to the main ingredients (vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries), you will need a blender that grinds food and provides a pleasant puree-like texture to the drink. You can add nuts, water, milk, yogurt, ice, honey, sugar, ice cream, spices and seasonings to smoothies.
Smoothie satisfies the body with vitamins, macro- and micronutrients necessary for the healthy functioning of the body. The drink is especially popular in summer, when vegetables, fruits and berries are available. However, in winter, the body needs an even healthier drink because it lacks vitamins.
Smoothies are a complete meal. It contains a large amount of fiber, which saturates and relieves hunger for a long time. Thanks to this smoothie it can become one of the complete meals – breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack or dinner. In the morning, cereals and nuts can be added to a fruit and berry drink. In the evening, it is better to prefer vegetable smoothies with herbs.
There is also a peculiar diet program based on the use of exclusively detoxifying smoothies. What is a detox smoothie? These are fresh mixed drinks made mainly from green vegetables and fruits. They cleanse the body of accumulated salts and toxins, promote weight loss, improve the body. The unloading system suggests one day of detoxification per week.
Smoothies are healthier than natural juices. In the preparation of fresh juice, the juice is separated from the pulp and many useful substances remain in the juicer. When making a smoothie, all the nutrients are retained in the drink.
What are the benefits of smoothies? Depending on the composition, each drink affects the body in its own way, but all smoothies have common properties:
- Replenishing the body’s needs for vitamins. As the products are not heat treated and the drink is consumed immediately after preparation, the concentration of useful compounds in it is maximum.
- The fight against obesity. Most smoothies are low in calories but also extremely nutritious, so do not overeat.
- Improved digestion. According to Melinda Ratini, MD, smoothies support the optimal intestinal microflora, help fight inflammatory processes and relieve constipation.
- Removal of toxins. Every day, the human body is faced with the negative impact of external factors. Harmful substances that are harmful to health enter it with water, food, air. Smoothies effectively cleanse the body, help the liver function better, so that the organs and systems, along with the bloodstream, receive enough oxygen.
- Accelerate recovery after active physical exercise, muscle growth.
- Strengthening the immune system. Lack of vitamins often causes colds. Smoothies reduce the risk of their appearance to a minimum.
- Restoration of body strength. Healthy drinks improve sleep, facilitate waking up, give energy.
In addition, smoothies have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair. Systematic use of beverages makes the skin well-groomed and healthy, cleanses, relieves dryness. Hair stops falling out, it becomes thicker.
How to make smoothies, possible harms and contraindications
In order for the body to get the maximum benefit from the drink, remember a few simple recommendations for its preparation:
- Add water, green tea, milk or natural yogurt to your vegetables, fruits and berries to make your smoothie less thick.
- If you use smoothies as a complete meal in the morning, add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oatmeal, muesli.
- Honey will help make the drink sweet, advises Kristin Mikstas. Avoid adding sugar and syrups.
- Smoothies are best served cold. Cool the ingredients before preparing the drink or add some ice cubes to the drink.
Can you drink smoothies every day? Of course, daily consumption of beverages will help prevent vitamin deficiency. At the same time, remember that you should drink smoothies immediately after preparation. At room temperature, the shelf life of the drink should not exceed 3 hours and in the refrigerator – 24 hours.
Which smoothie to choose
All drinks have different effects on the body. Here are the most popular product combinations for making wellness cocktails:
- Banana, spinach and kiwi. Thanks to bananas, a nutritious drink is obtained that improves mood, normalizes stools and reduces the chance of heart attack and stroke. Kiwi promotes fat burning and spinach normalizes the activity of the pancreas and strengthens the immune system.
- Avocado, cucumber and parsley. Perfectly satisfies hunger thanks to avocado, reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer and slows down aging. Cucumber has a mild diuretic effect, due to which weight loss is achieved and parsley replenishes the body’s needs for vitamin C.
- Celery, apple and ginger. What are the benefits of green smoothies in the morning? The drink is suitable for cleansing the body, strengthens the immune system, helps in weight loss. Celery strengthens bones, improves heart function. Apples support brain health, while ginger stimulates the body’s defenses, improves digestion and kills bacteria.
- Broccoli and grapefruit. This is one of the lowest calorie smoothies that cleanses the liver, removes toxins and improves digestion. Broccoli protects against cancer, improves kidney and heart function and grapefruit promotes weight loss and strengthens the immune system.
Damages and contraindications
Smoothies should not be abused, as they contain fruit acids, which lead to the desalination of tooth enamel, reduce its durability and make the surface rough. Because of this, the process of removing plaque from the teeth is difficult and bacteria lead to the destruction of the enamel. To avoid this, drink no more than 2 glasses of beverage a day.
Be careful when choosing smoothie products if you control your blood glucose levels and have a history of allergic reactions. Avoid allergens and ingredients with a high sugar content.
For people with digestive problems and an acidic stomach, it is important to control the pH of the smoothie. Discard foods with sorrel, as they can cause an exacerbation of the disease and cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract.
The ease of preparation and the benefits of a smoothie make it an excellent drink for those who want to improve their health and enjoy a pleasant taste. Choose the right ingredients, experiment with combinations and you are healthy.
Caution! The material is for informational purposes only. You should not resort to the methods of treatment described in it without first consulting a doctor.
Sources:
- Christina Mixstas. Mix it up: 15 options for your perfect Smoothie // WebMD. – 2020. – 10 September. – Access function: https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-perfect-smoothie
- Marcin Kidoń, Pascaline Aimee Uwineza. New Smoothie products based on pumpkin, banana and purple carrot as a source of bioactive compounds // PubMed. – 2022. – 10 May. – 27 (10). – Access function: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35630528/
- Melinda Ratini. Smoothie Tips for Cancer // WebMD. – 2021. – 8 December. – Access function: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/smoothie-tips-for-people-with-cancer
Original article: https://www.nur.kz/food/healthy-eating/1740147-smuzi-cto-eto-i-dla-cego/